Michigan

Michigan GOP delegates spurn incumbent university board members Weiser, Kelly

Published

1 year ago

August 25, 2024

Michigan GOP delegates spurn incumbent university board members Weiser, Kelly

Flint — Michigan Republican Party delegates declined on Saturday to re-nominate two incumbent university board members for their positions, including Ron Weiser, a former state GOP chairman and longtime donor to the party.

At an occasionally raucous convention that lasted about 12 hours inside Flint’s Dort Financial Center, hundreds of Republicans selected Carl Meyers, a former state party treasurer, and Sevag Vartanian, a businessman who ran in 2022, to appear on the ballot in November as the GOP candidates for two seats on the University of Michigan Board of Regents.

Meyers and Vartanian got more votes than Weiser, an Ann Arbor businessman, who currently holds a seat on the UM board, according to results released by the Michigan Republican Party at about 10 p.m. Saturday night.

More: Former Michigan GOP chairwoman escorted out of party convention by police

Weiser was the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party during the 2022 election cycle, in which Democrats won control of the state Legislature for the first time in four decades. While he’s been a Republican mega-donor, he’s been criticized by grassroots activists within the party and was booed at a convention in August 2022.

Like Weiser, the GOP delegates chose not re-nominate Dan Kelly for a position on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. Kelly, an attorney in Auburn Hills, is the board’s current chairman, according to the university’s website. The MSU board has faced a string of controversies and infighting in recent years.

Instead of Kelly, Republican delegates nominated Mike Balow, who was a candidate in 2022, and Julie Maday, a former Novi City Council member, to appear on the November ballot.

More: Ilitch, Diggs edge out pro-Palestine challenger for Democratic nomination for UM regent

Saturday’s convention saw former Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Kristina Karamo escorted out of the arena by police and some in the crowd boo current Chairman Pete Hoekstra, as infighting over the party’s leadership continued to divide delegates.

“Congratulations to all our candidates and newly elected nominees from today’s Convention,” Hoekstra said. “The most important takeaway from today is that the Michigan Republican Party is strong, unified and focused on one singular goal — flipping Michigan red this November.”

Todd Gillman, a Republican Party delegate from Lenawee County, said he actually thought the feuding at Saturday’s convention was going to be worse than it was.

“Every time that they try to disrupt, they get less and less people,” Gillman said of a faction that’s backing Karamo, who was removed as chairwoman in January.

On Saturday, Republican delegates also nominated state Rep. Andrew Fink of Hillsdale and Branch County Circuit Judge Patrick William O’Grady for two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court that are on the ballot this fall.

Democrats currently hold a 4-3 majority on the state’s high court.

Fink won his nomination over Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Mark Boonstra, who had been endorsed by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and former Supreme Court candidate Matt DePerno.

This fall, Fink will run against Democratic-nominated Kimberly Ann Thomas, a law professor at the University of Michigan. The winner will get a full eight-year term on the court, left up for grabs because of the impending retirement of GOP-nominated Justice David Viviano.

O’Grady defeated lawyer Alexandria Taylor of Romulus, who had the backing of Karamo. In November, O’Grady will face incumbent Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“I really want to urge everyone to come together on one accord with a spirit of forgiveness,” Taylor said on Saturday, as votes were being cast inside the hockey arena in Flint.

Delegates renominated incumbent State Board of Education members Tom McMillin and Nikki Snyder. And they nominated Michael Busuito, an incumbent, and Sunny Reddy for seats on the Wayne State University Board of Governors.

cmauger@detroitnews.com

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Michigan

Michigan State basketball responds to early tongue-lashing ahead of featured matchup

Published

14 hours ago

November 17, 2025

Press Room

Michigan State basketball responds to early tongue-lashing ahead of featured matchup

EAST LANSING – The lengthy delay for Tom Izzo to go from locker room to postgame press conference was a sign.

The Michigan State coach called out his team’s lack of energy in the second half of last week’s 79-60 win against San Jose State and promised the roster would be challenged. Less than 72 hours later, Izzo was a lot more upbeat about his team.

“We’ve had two of the best practices I’ve had in two years,” Izzo said after the team wrapped up on Sunday. “What will that mean? I don’t know but they got after it. And, by the way, they took it. And, by the way, they gave some of it, so that puts me in a good mood too, to be honest with you.”

This is a good time for No. 17 Michigan State (3-0) to answer an early bell with an annual marquee game on tap. The Spartans will face No. 9 Kentucky (3-1) on Tuesday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden.

“It’s been physical, it’s been more focused,” point guard Jeremy Fears said of weekend practices. “I think we’ve just got to understand that we have to be more focused.”

Michigan State is the defending Big Ten champion but is still in the very early stages of testing a new roster. There are four starting spots seemingly locked up with returning co-captains in Fears, wing Coen Carr and bigs Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper.

Fears was exempt from Izzo’s postgame tongue-lashing after San Jose State crept back within 10 after being down 23 at the half. Fears is the guy running the show on the floor and there are hiccups to work through.

“A lot of new guys, (defensive) scouts and things change day by day,” Fears said, “so you can’t come in expecting to see one thing or another thing to happen. … I think the sooner we’re able to realize and understand that, we’ll keep getting better.”

Michigan State lost a lot of experience and guard play after reaching the Elite Eight last season. Jase Richardson wasn’t expected to be a one-and-done first-round NBA pick. Tre Holloman’s transfer departure for NC State was also a surprise so Izzo hit the portal with four additions.

From the seniors who have been with Izzo since day one to the newcomers, being called out after a 19-point win isn’t unexpected.

“They told me what they want to accomplish, that’s the difference with me,” Izzo said. “I don’t put goals up every year that are my goals. I say give me a piece of paper, tell me what you want to accomplish then I’ll work mine in within that. They tell me what they want to accomplish, it’s my job to hold them accountable to that.”

After dropping its exhibition finale at UConn, Michigan State won its first three games that count, including a ranked victory against Arkansas. The Spartans will leave the Breslin Center for an early national spotlight at Madison Square Garden.

“It’s always one of the most watched nights of basketball and I look at that as a privilege,” Izzo said. “Yeah, we had to earn it, but it’s still a privilege to play in it so I’m excited to go to New York, I’m excited to see where we are.”

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Michigan

Michigan AG to challenge DTE’s proposed 8% natural gas rate hike

Published

1 day ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Michigan AG to challenge DTE’s proposed 8% natural gas rate hike

LANSING, Mich,. (WPBN/WGTU) – – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is set to intervene in DTE’s recent request to raise natural gas rates by 8%.

The request, submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission, could result in a 10% increase in bills for DTE gas customers, with at least an 8% hike for residential users.

The Attorney General’s office, alongside energy experts, plans to scrutinize the filing to ensure that customers are not burdened with additional costs that lack tangible benefits for their households.

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Michigan

Michigan’s Underrated City Packed With Lakes, Trails, And A Buzzing Downtown Is Tucked Between Detroit And Lansing – Islands

Published

2 days ago

November 15, 2025

Press Room

Michigan’s Underrated City Packed With Lakes, Trails, And A Buzzing Downtown Is Tucked Between Detroit And Lansing – Islands

Michigan is famous for its natural beauty, and it contains plenty of gorgeous lakes and sandy beaches that are kayaking havens. On top of that, the Great Lakes State is also full of excellent hiking, waterfalls, and quaint small towns, many of which can be seen on the Lake Superior Circle Tour through the northern part of the state. However, if you are planning a trip to Michigan and will be driving between Lansing and Detroit (the Midwest spot vying for the title of the best new art city), one underrated Michigan city you should stop in is Brighton.

Located around 45 minutes east of Lansing and 50 minutes west of Detroit, Brighton is the perfect small town escape for travelers looking for trails, gorgeous lakes, and a buzzing downtown. In fact, downtown Brighton is full of independent shops and restaurants that are just waiting to be explored. Located off Main Street, visitors can check out unique stores like 2 Dandelions Bookshop, Natural View Market, Town to Trail Outfitters, and many more. Some restaurants worth checking out are Sidecar Slider Bar, which specializes in gourmet sliders and delicious cocktails, and Captain’s on Main, which is known for serving delicious pizza and local beers. For those craving something sweet, Blank Slate Creamery offers some of the most scrumptious all-natural ice creams known to mankind. Consider getting yours to-go and relaxing at South Ore Creek, which is right next to downtown.

Explore Brighton’s trails and hikes

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Michigan is well-known for its abundance of beautiful hiking trails. And the best part of hiking in the Great Lakes State is the sheer amount of water views and the fact that most trails are pretty flat. This makes Michigan trails perfect for hikers who want to get out and stretch their legs without having to scramble over jagged rock faces or worry about dangerous trails.

The Penosha Trail is a popular hike in the area. At about 5 miles in length, this hike is well-kept and offers visitors plenty of leafy shade and pretty views. It takes about two hours to complete, though there are plenty of offshoots to explore if you’d like to be out in the wilderness all day. Another popular hike — the Wildwing Trail – is significantly shorter. It’s only about 2 miles long and takes under an hour to complete. If you’re into birding with a side of tranquil lake views, this is the hike for you.

Brighton is a year-round destination, and it has plenty to do in winter and early spring, including skiing. The Mt. Brighton ski resort provides courses and instructions for snowboarding and skiing for everyone, from first-time enthusiasts to experts. If you decide to visit Brighton while there’s snow on the ground, be sure to spend a day hitting the slopes.

Enjoy lake views in Brighton, Michigan

Island Lake Recreation Area in Brighton, Michigan

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Brighton is absolutely packed with gorgeous lakes of all sizes, ranging from tiny waterbodies with no names to the larger Brighton Lake. If you want to cast a line and get some fishing in, try out Woodland Lake. One Google reviewer raved that it had great fishing with, “…lots of good cover and structures for the big hogs! The pike are aggressive here in late summer!” The only complaint about this lake seems to be that parking is limited. Some reviewers even mentioned that it’s a good spot for ice fishing in winter.

For a relaxing day on the lake that doesn’t necessarily involve touching and gutting slimy fish, you should head to Island Lake Recreation Area. The area allows you and your family members to partake in a number of activities, ranging from relaxing on the beach and taking a dip in the water to paddling, biking, or hunting. Spanning 4,000 acres of gorgeous Michigan wilderness, it’s easy to lose track of time in this outdoor paradise.

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